


Alakazam!

by Umbry2000



Category: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Broomsticks and Wands and Magic and Lore, But Colette is oblivious, First Meetings, Fluff, Gen, Honestly there isn't much magic in this just broomsticks and dogs, I tagged this gen but Lloyd has a giant crush, Lloyd's One Awkward Dork, No knowledge of Elaina's Journey required, Oh No!! Pigeons!!, One Demon Dog Please, Takes Place in the Universe of Elaina's Journey, Witch Colette, with a bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:13:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29321454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Umbry2000/pseuds/Umbry2000
Summary: The Lucky Witch and her dog Daniel travel through the skies of Rostolf, hurrying to her client's location under the behest of the United Magic Association. Unbeknownst to them, another mage is also present in the skies. Add a pigeon into this chaotic equation, and... What happens next will shock you.
Relationships: Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	Alakazam!

**Author's Note:**

> This idea took residence in my brain and would not let me go so I wrote it out! This takes place in the world of Elaina's Journey. Don't worry if you haven't read or watched Elaina's Journey because I'm just borrowing the universe! The fic itself takes place after the story of Elaina's Journey so there are easter eggs but nothing else haha. I myself haven't read the original light novels so some things might be off! The magic system is honestly kinda wack and I did my best to explain it in the fic itself. Some kingdoms weren't given names in the anime, so I made some up! 
> 
> Hopefully, this is... alright, because I wrote this fairly quickly. Enjoy! :D

“You’re safe now, Daniel,” Colette whispered, running one hand through the Papillon’s matted, but still incredibly soft fur. Her other hand kept a steady grip on the broomstick she was sitting on, ensuring they didn’t fall out of the sky as she let the wind steer her to her destination.

Daniel yipped and directed what almost seemed like a stare of pure disdain at Colette, thumping his tail on her lap to express his annoyance at his current predicament, trapped on her lap. 

Daniel seemed so human sometimes! There were so many strange things about Daniel, even though he was irrevocably a dog. Colette had found him, alone in the rain one night when she was twelve. She’d been running home from the plains near Robetta, having just finished a session of basic magic practice with the wand her father had recently procured for her as a birthday gift. She had spotted the Papillon, been curled up into a ball under the giant rock that marked the fork in the path, his beady, unblinking black eyes watching her. Somehow, his fur hadn’t held a single drop of water, despite the rain pounding down right beside him! That seemed like a miracle to Colette, who had been shivering and drenched to the bone, ready to get home and dive into the warm bath her father would undoubtedly have thrown for her. But she couldn’t just leave this little dog here! He had a collar around his neck, which meant he had to belong to someone. But there were no houses for miles around here apart from Colette’s, which meant only one thing. 

That the dog before her was a stray. 

That left Colette no choice but to bring him home. She had bathed him, fed him, and named him Daniel! Throughout, Daniel had resisted vehemently, frequently trying to run away and causing as much trouble as he could: overturning vases, jumping on the dining table, and ripping up important documents. But that hadn’t deterred Colette from showering him with love. After all, no one, even dogs, deserved to be abandoned. Everyone deserves to be loved! Especially this adorable Papillon before her, who was surely just angry and sad. 

Daniel had eventually come around. The day she’d called his name and he’d willingly trotted up to her outstretched hand had been the happiest day of her life. Of course, Daniel still tried to be as annoying as possible. He loved pulling pranks, and was incredibly intelligent! He’d bark only when he wanted attention, had successfully guided Colette to the right spells to use before by carrying the right spellbooks to her using his mouth, and had even warned her of pickpockets before she noticed them. She’d sometimes catch Daniel staring over her shoulder at whatever book she was currently reading, almost like he was reading along as well. But that was ridiculous! Dogs didn’t know how to read. 

But no matter how strange Daniel was, he was her treasured companion. She had brought him with her to the Royal Magic Academy of Royal Celesteria when she was fourteen, eager to truly begin her studies to become a witch under the world-famous Silver Witch, Raine Sage. But along with that eagerness came an ugly sense of homesickness that tended to overtake her, especially when there was no distraction on-hand. Daniel was a small piece of Robetta that she had brought with her to this unfamiliar foreign land, and she would always hold him close to her heart. He was a familiar shadow at the feet of the Lucky Witch, travelling to different countries upon the request of the many clients of the United Magic Association. And Colette couldn’t be more thankful. She’d never be lonely with Daniel by her side! 

Not to mention his fur worked wonders as a catalyst! Just drop a bunch of it in the cauldron, cue the sparks, stir and _voilà_ , the potion would be perfect. Daniel’s fur was even more effective than the normal catalysts like frogs and lizards, like it held a potent innate power...

The only thing that hadn’t changed was the collar around Daniel’s neck, which was a peculiar salmon pink that clashed with his head's red fur (which was a really strange colour for a dog, now that she thought about it). It had likely belonged to Daniel’s previous owner, and she didn’t want to take that away. Attached to the collar was a charm, inscribed with the insignia of the Great Mage: a rose with a snake entwined within. 

The Great Mage, a figure of mystery and the greatest male magic-user to ever exist… He had disappeared when she was 9 or so. What was his name again? It had started with a Z… 

Daniel’s barks got louder as he started scrabbling his paws against her lap as well, determined to showcase his annoyance. He hated getting carried, but Colette had no choice but to do so as she zipped through the skies on her broomstick, lovingly made out of birch by her father. There was a bend in the originally straight stick, formed from tripping and falling onto her broomstick one too many times. 

Colette loved flying! It was refreshing to feel the wind brush the skin of her legs. It was fun to see her hair and the long sleeves of her coat floating behind her as she flew leisurely through the sky. It was exhilarating to grab onto the brim of her hat with a death grip and zip through the sky laughing, hoping nothing would fall off in the process. 

Somehow, her clumsiness seemed to vanish in the sky. She could navigate through the tightest of bends on a broomstick with grace, but leave her on the ground for an hour and she would trip over a non-existent rock. Flying above the clouds, alone in the world without a soul in sight, she could simply empty her mind and enjoy the sun. It was one of her favourite pastimes.

It was a pity that she couldn’t race through the skies of Rostolf, the clockmakers’ town, at breakneck speeds. The town was picturesque, what with the ornate clock tower that rose high into the sky, intricately engraved with the ancient language of the region, wrapped with vines and topped with a spire made out of gold that reflected the sunlight. Not to mention the quaint buildings and the canals that cut through the town, filled with the bluest water that sparkled under the afternoon sun. And unlike Royal Celesteria or the Land of Mages, there weren’t mages _everywhere_ in the sky. There was no risk of crashing into anyone and causing an unfortunate accident. But Daniel would probably never forgive her if she took off like a bullet. He hated that even more than he hated being carried. 

“I’m sorry, Daniel, but this is kinda your fault! If you hadn’t ended up stuck in that tree, we’d have enough time to get to the client’s place on foot! But now we’d be late if I go any slower, and I can’t let that happen! Martel would be so mad at me! I’ve already been late twice last month…” Colette sighed, picking up the pace just a little bit more. She had thought that joining the United Magic Association, a collection of mages that swore to do good for the world, was a great idea for a newly-minted witch like herself. She didn’t have the confidence or the know-how to set up her own practice, but she desperately wanted to help others who needed a more magical touch, and being part of the Association would give her that opportunity. Furthermore, it allowed her to travel to places she hadn’t even heard of before, each one incredible in its own right. Whether it be the sea-side town of Qunorts, with its breathtaking view of the azure sea and the hundreds of elegant boats upon it, or the affluent Kingdom of Javalier, with its extravagant display of wealth, or even the slightly creepy town of Helmfirth, where all its citizens carried around look-alike dolls and practised excellent ventriloquism. Being able to travel to such diverse locales had been a life-long dream of hers from the very first word of Elaina’s Journey that her father had read out loud. Finally achieving it… It filled her with pure elation.

The downside was that her mentor was terrifying. From the initial kind smile on the Emerald Witch’s face, Colette had thought that Martel couldn’t possibly be as bad as Professor Sage! She’d offered Colette tea and biscuits at their first meeting, gave her a lovely tour of that particular branch of the United Magic Association, and even congratulated her for successfully becoming a witch with a kind hand on her shoulder. It was a stark difference from Professor Sage, who had declared on Colette’s first lesson that anyone who wasn’t paying attention would be forced to hang upside down from the ceiling for the rest of the school day, which had shocked every student in the hall into stunned silence. 

Colette had been _so_ wrong. Martel could go from kind to demonic with a snap of a finger, something that Colette had discovered upon returning from a request that she had fulfilled late. If she was late one more time this month, Martel would feed her to the lions that lay in the courtyard of the United Magic Association like she’d threatened to last time. And then Daniel would be all alone again! 

Not to mention Sheena would _die_ from laughter once Colette’s punishment was over. Colette was friends with the Twilight Witch and had been since they’d attended the Royal Magic Academy together and had bonded over their shared penchant of misfiring spells. Unfortunately, they were both mentees under the Emerald Witch, which automatically meant the formation of a rivalry. Not that either of them took it too seriously. The two of them still hung out in each other’s dormitory rooms after work hours, trading stories, playing cards and feeding Daniel cheese sandwiches (Sheena always called Daniel a demon dog while watching him wolf them down). It was just like their school days. Blissful… 

“Actually, how did you get stuck up in that tree in the first place?” Colette pondered, thinking back on the events of ten minutes ago. Daniel had been at the foot of the spirit apple tree, scrabbling away at the bark in vain. Colette had looked away for a minute, and upon looking back had found Daniel, ears flat on his head and tail drooping, lying on one of the top branches awaiting rescue. 

Colette could understand the desire to get to the spirit apples. There was a reason they were this region’s speciality and was an ingredient in so many dishes. The juice that would flood your mouth upon taking a little bite, and the sweet aftertaste… Truly delectable! But that tree was close to 15 feet tall. A Papillon like Daniel should never have been able to reach the top of the tree unless he somehow grew wings. 

But that was ridiculous! Daniel was a dog. Dogs didn’t fly, and they _definitely_ didn’t know how to operate a broomstick or cast magic.

Colette supposed it didn’t matter. Daniel was safe now, and she really had to hurry to the client’s house! 

Who was the client and what had they requested? Um… Colette couldn’t quite remember. It wasn’t important! She could just get the details when she arrived.

Daniel’s barks only got louder, and glaring at Colette, he stretched and made as if to jump out of her lap. Seeing her dog’s life flash before her eyes, Colette removed her other hand from the broom and grabbed onto Daniel tightly, causing the broom to swerve through the air as she momentarily lost control. 

She _really_ should have heeded Sheena’s suggestion and gotten a basket for Daniel to sit in. 

Colette was so occupied with trying to save Daniel from falling out of the sky that she didn’t notice the giant red blur currently hurtling towards her. 

_“Look out!”_

Colette’s head snapped up as she momentarily let go of Daniel, finally spotting the impending collision. But it was far too late. And with a loud “bang”, she was sent flying through the sky, crashing into the tiled roof of a nearby house with a resonant “thud”.

Rolling to a stop, Colette pressed her hand to her throbbing forehead and pulled herself up into a kneeling position, opening her eyes to survey the damage. A few rows of roof tiles had been completely decimated, leaving behind only the stone foundations. That would have to be fixed! It wouldn’t be nice to leave the owner of this perfectly fine house with a damaged roof. But it was nothing that couldn’t be undone with a simple time reversal spell. 

Aside from a few aching bones, she was unharmed. Maybe that was because of the amount of practice her body had crashing into all sorts of things at a variety of speeds. Somehow, she had adapted to her propensity for tripping! She could only see that as a good thing. 

Her bag and hat were still intact. Her witch’s brooch and United Magic Association badge were all still pinned safely to her coat without a single scratch on them. Her broomstick was perfectly fine, floating an inch off the roof. Still, it felt like something was missing… 

Next to her broomstick floated another, made out of cedar. Oh, right! Where was the person who had collided with her? Were they unharmed? She would feel horrible if they were wounded… It was a witch’s responsibility, as the most powerful of mages, to look out for others. And this had only happened because she’d been distracted. 

Turning to her right, she spotted a boy who looked around her age, dressed entirely in red: red shoes, red pants, red shirt, red cloak, red brooch... It was a shocking amount of red. 

Spotting her, the boy scrambled to his feet. Thankfully, he seemed unharmed. 

Bowing her head, she opened her mouth to apologise. This was her fault, after all.

“I’m _so_ sorry -”

“I’m sorry -”

Colette shut her mouth, staring at the boy across from her for a few awkward seconds of silence. The boy laughed nervously, raising one hand to scratch the back of his head (that brown hair was so spiky! Was it natural?), causing her to break out into giggles as well. 

“You first?” He said, gesturing towards her. 

“Uh! I’m sorry. I should have been looking out for where I was going. I’m really sorry. Thank goodness you’re not hurt…” 

“No, no, it’s my fault! I ducked to avoid a stray pigeon in the sky and couldn’t control my descent,” the boy muttered, staring around at all the damage. “I should be the one to fix this. Even though it’ll take forever...” 

“Oh, don’t worry about that!” Colette hurriedly said, pulling her trusty wand out of her pocket (acacia with two mermaid tears. It worked wonders!) and swished it in the air with two broad strokes, focussing her mind. As the sparkles that came with all spells, affectionately termed “the magical glitter” by Sheena, fell from the air, the tiles reversed their previous course of action and returned to sit neatly on the roof. 

The boy stared at the whole spectacle with wide russet eyes. “Woah! I’ve never seen a time-reversal spell. The closest Alicia’s gotten is a fire spell…” 

Ah, that’s right. While magic was passed down through the generations, only females could tap into its full potential. So people like the boy before her would forever be stuck as novices - able to learn how to ride broomsticks and perform elementary magic, but could never go beyond to become an apprentice witch. 

Colette thought it unfair, for magic to be limited in this way. Rostolf hadn’t had a resident witch in generations, though she had heard through the grapevine that there was a new promising novice who might be able to advance to an apprentice witch soon. Rostolf’s lack of magic only made their intricate creations all the more impressive - the lovingly carved clock faces, inlaid with the perfect details, were done entirely by skilled hands dedicated to their craft, without a single drop of magic. 

All of this was what made the Great Mage a figure of legend. A novice with magic that could rival even an apprentice witch. It had been unheard of before him. 

Thinking about the Great Mage made Colette feel like she was forgetting something. There was a niggling thought in the back of her mind that she was failing to grasp... But what?

“So you’re a witch, right?” The boy asked, pulling Colette out of her thoughts.

“Yep!” Colette unpinned the golden, star-shaped brooch, inlaid with sapphires, that was pinned to her coat over her collarbone and that marked her as a full witch, holding it out to the boy. “You can see my brooch if you want!” 

“Oh, no! That’s made out of moon gold, right? I wouldn’t want to break it or anything!” The boy protested. 

If it had survived all her mishaps and even her fall onto the roof without a single scratch, Colette seriously doubted anything could break it, but alright. She would just repin it to her coat. “I’m Colette, by the way. Colette Brunel. I think we’re about the same age! I’m sixteen.”

“You’re _sixteen_? You’re only one year younger than me and you’re already a witch? That’s amazing! Oh, and I’m Lloyd. Lloyd Irving.” 

“Nice to meet you, Lloyd!” Colette replied, breaking into a smile at his praise. “But there are many incredible witches out there! I’ve heard of witches who are twelve and thirteen. All that matters is your aptitude and attitude, like Professor Sage used to say! I’m a fairly new witch myself. I only got my official title three months ago. So I’m really nothing amazing.”

“No, it's _still_ amazing,” Lloyd said. “ _I’m_ still an apprentice clockmaker. I’m nowhere near your level of skill.” 

“The clockmakers of Rostolf are all incredibly skilled, so it’s going to take time! It took me a lot of studying and practice to even get to this point, and I still have a long way to go! And I’m sure you’re working hard, so you’ll make it someday!” Colette insisted. She wasn’t going to let anyone put themselves down.

“Thanks. It’s nice to meet you too.” Lloyd smiled, stretching out a hand for her to shake. His palm was warm but callused, certainly different from all the other people she had known. Witch’s hands were smooth, since all they did was grip a wand. 

It was… nice. 

“But haven’t I heard your name somewhere before?” 

“Hmm? You shouldn’t have…” Colette replied, confused. She hadn’t completed that many requests and wasn’t that impressive of a witch, so why would Lloyd have heard her name before? She’d never been to Rostolf… 

Unless… 

“Wait, are you the Lucky Witch?” Lloyd yelped, confirming her suspicion. 

“Yep. Yep, that’s me!” Colette laughed nervously, moving her collar to hide the inscription on her witch’s brooch that read “The Lucky Witch” in the ancient magician’s script. “Why?”

“Woah! You’re famous! There was a merchant from Javalier who passed through here a week ago, and he told everyone in town about you!” 

Oh. Oh _no_.

“Is it true that you found the stashed treasure of the Princess Without Subjects by smashing through a false wall in the castle of Javalier? I heard that there was enough treasure there to buy over two villages!” Lloyd continued excitedly.

That story had spread _this_ far?

“It was just an accident! I tripped over the carpet and fell through the wall. I didn’t mean for that to happen! So really, I don’t hold any credit for that!” Colette protested, shaking her head. It really had been an accident! She had somehow tripped over the very flat carpet and ended up in a secret room, filled with musty air and dust, untouched for decades. The light from the corridor torches filtering in through the hole in the wall had reflected off the thousands of jewels, coins and gold bars sitting within the room. 

The castle staff’s bewilderment and concern had quickly morphed into ecstasy at finding the long-hidden stash of Princess Mirarosé, which had been rumoured to exist for generations. Colette had been happy for them, but she had been more worried for Daniel, who had crawled into the mountain of coins and disappeared. She had searched for him in the cavernous room for hours to no avail, only to return to her temporary quarters in the castle and find Daniel lying comfortably on the bed, head pillowed on his front legs and tail leisurely wagging.

But she really hadn’t intended to stumble onto the treasure, and she didn’t like people attributing it to her. A better witch would have been able to detect the presence of that false wall, not accidentally find it by tripping. The achievement and praise felt unearned, especially from other witches. Nor did Colette like the attention - she didn’t know how to react when faced with it, and more often than not would nervously laugh and attempt to escape before it got too extreme. But Daniel _loved_ it, and would preen while praise was heaped on him. Until someone tried to pet him or pick him up, of course. 

Only Sheena and her mentor still treated her the same. Sheena because she couldn’t care less, and Martel with a menacing smile as she reminded Colette not to let it get to her head.

“But no one has found that room in a century! That means you really _are_ lucky!” 

Lucky... Most witches were named by their teachers, after… Well, after the colour of their hair. The Emerald Witch, the Silver Witch, the Twilight Witch... Witches weren’t the most creative of people. Colette had expected to be named the Golden Witch or something similar, so when Professor Sage had given her the moniker of the Lucky Witch through gritted teeth while staring pointedly at the Colette-shaped hole in the auditorium… Colette had felt a shiver go down her back. 

Wait, Daniel! That was what she was forgetting! Oh, how could she have forgotten about her closest companion? She’d gotten too wrapped up in ensuring that Lloyd was alright. Where was Daniel? She’d lost her grip on him a few seconds before Lloyd had smashed into her, and that worried her. Had he fallen onto the pavement below? Was he injured somewhere, alone? Was - 

The sound of faint barking interrupted her train of thought, and looking around frantically, she found Daniel sitting calmly on the rooftop of a house across the pavement, directing an unimpressed stare at the two of them. 

How’d he get all the way over there? She supposed it didn’t matter… 

“Colette?” Lloyd followed her gaze and spotted Daniel as well, who bared his teeth at Lloyd. “Oh, the dog! I forgot about him…”

Colette cast a quick levitation spell, lifting Daniel into the air (where he flailed his legs wildly in protest) and lowering him safely back into her arms. Letting out a sigh of relief, she scratched Daniel between the ears, whispering assurances. Daniel, in classic fashion, barked in disgust and wriggled, attempting to escape her grip. 

“Um, you know, I could have sworn your dog had wings.” 

Colette paused, wondering if she’d heard correctly. “His name’s Daniel, actually! And wings?”

“Yeah. Like, big, black, rubbery wings? Like a bat’s?” 

Colette ran a hand down Daniel’s back but found no sign of any wings. There weren’t even nubs. Daniel was just a dog who disliked being carried or pet, could reach locations no other dog could and liked to pretend to read. 

Perfectly normal!

“Daniel doesn’t have wings… I think you might have seen wrongly. It was pretty chaotic just now, so I wouldn’t blame you!” 

“Oh. Well, I guess… so...?”

“...” 

The two of them lapsed into an awkward silence, leading Colette to stare down at the roof tiles. The conversation had been going so well before, but now she had no idea what to say. In the intermittent silence, Daniel smacked her with his tail. 

“Is that the symbol of the Great Mage?” 

“O - oh!” Colette responded, eager to continue talking. “The symbol on the charm attached to Daniel’s collar? It is! Here, see?” 

Colette shifted her hands and stretched her arms out, letting Daniel dangle in the air before Lloyd. Daniel turned his head to look at her with a gaze of pure horror, barking his protest. 

“What was his name again…? Z…” Colette closed her eyes, trying her very best to remember. Her father had told her countless stories about the Great Mage. Surely she had heard his name at least once! How hard could it be to remember?

“Z…”

Come on…

“Ze…?” 

A sharp pain shot through her head, causing her to grimace and break her train of concentration.

“Oh, I give up! Trying to remember is giving me a headache -” 

Colette stopped, realising Lloyd was staring with a slight blush on his cheeks. What…? Was there something in her general area that was worth staring at? A cursory glance of the area confirmed that there was nothing. 

How strange. 

“Lloyd…?”

“Ah! No - I mean, it’s alright! I don’t remember either! But um, Daniel seems pretty excited.” 

Lloyd was right. Daniel was trying really hard to get out of her grip now, contorting his body and repeatedly barking.

“He always gets like this whenever the Great Mage is mentioned. Daniel must be a big fan of his!”

Lloyd laughed, a warm sound that seemed to fill her up on the inside. With an actual smile on his face and his shoulders shaking in mirth, those russet eyes were even more alive than before. 

It was a pretty sight.

_Gong. Gong. Gong._

Colette flinched as the ringing of the bell in Rostolf Clocktower assaulted her ears, causing Daniel to start barking like crazy. Lloyd was completely unaffected and simply stood still, angling his head to look up at the sky. 

Colette couldn’t understand living so close to such a large source of noise, but the residents of Rostolf were clearly accustomed to it. 

“It’s 3 pm already, huh… I was supposed to get the sacred wood from Presea back to Dad by 3.30…” 

Wait, 3 pm…? 

“Oh no, I’m late!” Colette cried, the realisation suddenly hitting her like a brick. “I was supposed to reach the client’s place by 3 pm! No, no, no! Martel’s actually going to _kill_ me!” 

“ _Wait_ , hang on!” Lloyd called, grabbing onto her hand as she hopped onto her broomstick. The force of his grip tugged her back so she was leaning off the edge of the broomstick, Daniel hugged securely to her chest, and face inches from his. This close, she could see the individual flecks of darker brown, closer to red, scattered in his eyes, the little strands of hair that hung over his forehead, swaying in the gentle breeze, and the little smatter of freckles on the bridge of his nose.

Colette blinked, unsure what Lloyd wanted and why he was standing so close. Lloyd himself wasn’t saying anything, only staring at her once again with wide eyes, the blush on his cheeks deepening. 

It was... really strange! She didn’t get it… Was Lloyd quite alright? 

What broke the moment was, of course, Daniel’s angry barking. Lloyd hurriedly let go and backed up a few steps, leaving Colette to stew in extreme confusion as she loosened her grip on Daniel.

“I - Um, could you come round to Dirk’s Clockmakers after you’re done?” Lloyd asked, staring at the roof tiles.

“I don’t mind, but… Why?” Colette asked, cocking her head and still not comprehending the reasons behind Lloyd’s erratic actions. Maybe she could ask Sheena about it once she returned from this request. 

“You can’t just leave Rostolf without a tour! Just ask around town and you should get directions to the place.”

“Oh, you don’t need to do anything in return for the roof -” 

“I insist!” Lloyd said, crossing his arms. “Please?” 

“I - oh, alright.” Colette caved, without much of a struggle at all. She did enjoy this little pocket of time she had spent with him, and wouldn’t mind more time. She was always up for getting to know people from different towns! Rostolf had such a colourful history and so many interesting places to visit, and it would be a pity to give up this chance to hear from a local. 

Besides, Martel hadn’t specified that Colette _had_ to be back by sunset… 

“You should go! I don’t wanna hold you up any longer.”

“Right! Bye, then I’ll see you again later!!” Colette took off into the sky, looking back and waving at the slowly shrinking figure that was Lloyd, who waved back. 

Daniel was now smugly lying on her lap. Now, of all times, he chose to behave… He was the one who had caused this whole debacle in the first place. But perhaps she should thank him, because she would have never met Lloyd otherwise. Lloyd seemed like a great person, and hopefully they could become friends. 

But it was time to focus on the job up ahead.

~☆~

Lloyd had never been this close to a witch before. He’d spotted the occasional witch flying through the skies of Rostolf, either coming to fulfil some sort of request or simply passing through. But he had never had the opportunity to meet one face-to-face. 

Lloyd had always pictured witches as old, wise, mature and practically Gods, worthy of worship and completely unapproachable to a novice mage like himself. Having heard the tale from the merchant from Javalier, he had thought the Lucky Witch was the same. 

Colette had completely shattered that image. Her outfit should have given her identity away immediately, even with the collar of her cloak initially hiding her witch’s brooch - the wide-brimmed, pointed black hat with a sky blue ribbon curling up it, a single cerulean, incredibly fine feather attached to the tip; the knee-length black cloak worn over a white blouse with another sky blue ribbon adorning her chest, and a black skirt; the black shoes that curved upwards at their ends. It was classic witch attire. But at first glance, he hadn’t thought the girl standing before him on the rooftop had been a witch. 

He hadn’t thought that the first witch he met would be almost the same age as him. Or for her to have hair peeking out from under the brim of her hat that was the colour of spun gold, bright under the afternoon sun like the casings of the best-made Rostolf watches, crafted from the most precious moon gold. Or for her eyes to be the colour of the cheerful river that bubbled through the canals, sparkling and lively. Almost everyone in Rostolf had some variety of brown hair and eyes. It made Colette stick out all the more.

He hadn’t expected the first witch he met to be as cheerful, humble and incredibly friendly as Colette had been. She’d helped him fix the roof for no charge, hadn’t blamed him for the unfortunate accident that had occurred, and had even been downright encouraging. She hadn’t even laughed at the way he had made a fool of himself around her. In fact, she was just as awkward and… human as him. Colette wasn’t an otherworldly being or perfect, she was just another person, and one that he had inconvenienced. He couldn’t just let her leave Rostolf without paying her back in some way or another.

That, and he was hoping to see her again. 

The face she had made while trying to recall the name of the Great Mage… With her eyes closed, eyebrows scrunched together, small braid unravelling, ribbons fluttering in the wind and wand tapping against her cheek… Well, it was cute. 

Lloyd sighed, knowing he had to get moving. He needed to go to Presea’s to pick up the sacred wood that Dad needed for the newest batch of orders, and he knew Alicia would want to play with him for a bit. If he didn’t get going now, he wouldn’t make it back in time, and Dad would surely murder him then. 

Lloyd stared at Colette’s back, watching her become a smaller and smaller dot in the sky as she flew further away. Shocked, he watched as Daniel turned his head and levelled what seemed almost like a leering grin back. 

Were all dogs like this? But Noishe was nothing like Daniel...

Lloyd scoffed, shaking his head as he clambered back onto his broomstick. “That… is _definitely_ a demon dog.”

~☆~

And so the Lucky Witch zipped through the skies of Rostolf, dog secure in her lap and a smile on her face as she looked forward to seeing the mage dressed entirely in red again. 

Where would their story go from here? You can only read on to find out…

**Author's Note:**

> I wonder who the dog is? :D [Papillon](https://thehappypuppysite.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Papillon-HP-long.jpg) is a breed of dog btw, thought it fit.
> 
> If you're curious about Colette's design here, I took reference from [Elaina's design](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/814776Dk18L.jpg) (for some reason her eyes are blue here? They're supposed to be purple) while replacing the pink with sky blue. But feel free to imagine whatever you want! Character design is really not my strong suit :( The feather on the tip of Colette's hat is a [kingfisher's feather](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/EhgAAOSwtC5cucp~/s-l400.jpg)! I thought it was just the right shade of blue, and it represents good luck, so I thought it fit her as the Lucky Witch!
> 
> You could say the events here mirror episode 2 of the anime, but unlike Saya, Lloyd didn't do it on purpose!
> 
> (Also freckles!)
> 
> I probably will revisit this specific AU :D sounds like it would be fun. Thank you for reading!


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